June 23, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

Statement by Prime Minister Paul Martin

On behalf of the Government of Canada, I would like to wish a happy St.
Jean-Baptiste Day to all Quebecers and to all Francophones across Canada.

Moments like these are opportunities to celebrate, of course, but also
opportunities to reflect. We can look back down the road we have travelled, a
road of self-affirmation, growth and progress, and more importantly, we can look
to the future. With confidence.

While St. Jean-Baptiste Day has traditionally been marked by nostalgia, today it
has evolved into an occasion to come together and celebrate both our
distinctiveness and our diversity. To express our self-confidence, our creativity
and our openness to the world.

St. Jean-Baptiste is a day of celebration for Quebecers. It is also a day of
celebration for all Francophones in Canada, from Newfoundland to British
Columbia. We must never forget this. It is a day of celebration for a living
culture, nurtured here, and unafraid to take up its place on the world stage.

This year, in which we mark the 400th anniversary of the French presence in North
America, it is important that we recognize the vitality of Canada's Francophone
culture. This culture has helped forge a Canadian identity built on tolerance and
respect for difference. The Canada of today is all the richer for it.

To all Quebecers and to Francophones throughout the country, happy St. Jean-
Baptiste!